


You Were Red (and you liked me 'cause I was blue)

by lgbtimelord



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, alaric is a bad dad bc oh wait he is one in canon too, basically the mikaelsons see lizzie and say shes ours now, but its more like, idiots to lovers, pray that i actually finish the last chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23028244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lgbtimelord/pseuds/lgbtimelord
Summary: “I know this isn’t how you imagine things going-”“Yeah, no shit,” Lizzie interrupted.“But this is the only solution we’ve found to keep us all safe.”“Selling me to the fucking Mikaelsons is the only way to keep us safe?”“We’re not selling you, baby. The Mikaelsons are giving to this arrangement as much as us. You’re getting married to Klaus’ and Hayley’s daughter, Hope.”orArranged Marriage AU in which Hope is a hopeless romantic and Lizzie is too scared and too stubborn to allow herself to love.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 43
Kudos: 469
Collections: Finishedstoriesmine





	1. Chapter 1

> _I know the rain like the clouds know the sky_
> 
> _I speak to birds and tell them where to fly_
> 
> _I sing the songs that you hear on the breeze_
> 
> _I write the names of the rocks and the trees_
> 
> _…_
> 
> _Oh, you fool, there are rules, I am coming for you_
> 
> _Darkness brings evil things, oh the reckoning begins_
> 
> _…_
> 
> _I tried to warn you when you were a child_
> 
> _I told you not to get lost in the wilds_
> 
> _I sent you omens and all kinds of signs_
> 
> _I taught you melodies, poems and rhymes_
> 
> _…_
> 
> _Oh, you fool, there are rules, I am coming for you_
> 
> _(You can run but you can't be saved)_
> 
> _Darkness brings evil things, oh the reckoning begins_
> 
> _(You have opened the yawning grave)_
> 
> **The Yawning Grave, Lord Huron.**

It would have been the perfect day to be outside, find new paints in the market and bring them home to paint another sunset, maybe spend some time with her father too- Hope thought.

Instead she was lying in her bed, covered by too many covers. It had been about an hour since her family had sat her down and told her what was happening.

War was imminent and the way to stop it was an arranged marriage. Between herself and the oldest of the Saltzman twins.

She tried to think back to what she remembered of them, she couldn’t remember much from the last time they were here but that one was blonde and the other brunette. She remembered the brunette one looking around the room with curiosity while the blonde one had a scowl on her face the entire time. She can’t remember which one was older; but she silently hopes the one she was marrying, wasn’t as against to this idea as herself.

“I know that you don’t want this,” said Hayley from the door.

“Really?” Hope answered, head buried in her pillow, hiding herself in her bed covers, “what makes you think that?”

She sighed, “You’re acting childish, Hope.”

“Maybe that is because I am still one, mom.”

Hayley walked to the bed and sat beside Hope, fingers softly moving through her daughter’s hair, “So, all those days you didn’t want to be treated as a child because you were eighteen mean nothing now?”

Hope sat up, banging her head against the bed frame in exhaustion, “I don’t want to be treated as child, but that doesn’t mean I have to get _married_.”

“You know why that is, Hope.”

“Stop a war, get rid of a tyrant, save millions, blah blah,” she answered, moving her hands around in a mocking way.

“This isn’t a joke. This marriage might be the only way to stop a war between our family and those in Mystic Falls,” she softly touched her cheek, gently wiping away some of the tears Hope had let out.

“I don’t even know who I’m going to marry. What if she’s not nice? What if she’s boring? What if I never love her?”

“You know, I had an arranged marriage too. It was hard, at first. But you might surprise yourself when you grow to love her. And you have so much love to give, Hope.”

A crack by the door interrupted their conversation, it was Klaus. Leaning against the doorframe of Hope’s bedroom, when he realized his presence was spotted, he walked over to them and gave his daughter a hug. After a few moments, he spoke.

“I think you are really brave, and loyal, for doing this to keep us all safe. But if you really feel this way,” his eyes found Hayley’s and then Hope’s, holding her tightly to his chest, “we can find another way. We’ll lay down Mystic Falls if we have to.”

She knew he would do it; she could say the word and all truces would be broken. A war would start and she’d be free, but she can’t allow herself to do it even if she knows her father is just waiting for her- giving her an out, a choice, like he always does.

“Dad, no,” she whispered, “I don’t want it to be a war either. I just don’t understand why it has to be me. Why can’t, I don’t know, uncle Elijah marry Mister Saltzman?”

Klaus snorted, “Even though I would love to see Alaric in that position, the union must be carried on by firstborns. I’m sorry, my littlest wolf,” he finished kissing the top of her head.

And Hope, hugging both of her parents, allowed herself to cry again.

* * *

Everything around the room was shattered. From the small portraits showing happy memories to the big glass windows. At the center of the room was Lizzie, head between her hands, and her mother- Caroline- in front of her, softly whispering to her so she would calm down.

Lizzie’s clothes were spilled with the blood from her hands, the glass that had flown across the room found itself a home in her palms and now the aching on them made Lizzie cry even more.

After a couple of minutes, once Lizzie’s heartbeat had gone back to normal, Caroline spoke.

“I know this isn’t how you imagine things going-”

“Yeah, no shit,” Lizzie interrupted.

“But this is the only solution we’ve found to keep us all safe.”

“Selling me to the fucking Mikaelsons is the only way to keep us safe?”

“We’re not selling you, baby. The Mikaelsons are giving to this arrangement as much as us. You’re getting married to Klaus’ and Hayley’s daughter, Hope.”

“So, that’s it then?” she said, standing up from the floor and looking down at her mother, “ _I’m_ getting married. No other option? Don’t I have a fucking choice in this?”

Caroline sighed, “Lizzie-”

“No, no. I’m not a piece of meat you can just make a deal with. This is my life, mom” she kneeled in front of the older blonde, “I don’t want my life to go like this. I want to find someone on my own and fall in love, and when I’m sure, I want to marry them.”

Caroline put her hand on Lizzie’s cheek, “I’m sorry it won’t be like that but maybe you’ll fall in love either way. I heard Hope is incredibly smart, and she’s pretty too.”

Lizzie scoffed, “I will not fall in love with the Mikaelsons' spoiled child.”

Caroline sighed again, she seemed to be doing a lot of that since they started to tell Lizzie about the truce.

“I want to talk to dad,” Lizzie said, “he can’t force me to do this.”

“Your father already left with Josie. They’ve gone to New Orleans to prepare the truce feast.” Tears filled Lizzie’s eyes again, _of course they did_ , “I am so sorry, Lizzie,” she said and put her arms around her daughter.

“Why me? Why can’t Josie do this? She’s better than me- she’s not crazy. At least she’ll have a chance of the Mikaelson loving her.” She said, hiding herself in the crook of her mother’s neck.

“Listen to me,” she answered and cupping Lizzie’s face in her hands so she could look directly into her eyes, “you are not crazy. And you are just as deserving of love as you sister.”

She stayed silent for a moment, until her daughter nodded- a silent movement to let her know she heard her.

“As to why you have to do this… the union will only work if two firstborns get married,” she continued, “now, pack some bags. We will leave for New Orleans tomorrow morning.”

* * *

Hope heard the voices before she saw anyone.

She knew she should go downstairs and introduce herself. Her mother had told her to make a good impression, since they would be her family now. But the sun was in _just_ the right place and she wanted to capture it, before she lost her chance.

She kept an ear on them, though. She heard a masculine voice talking to her father, he didn’t introduce himself- their families knew enough about each other for trivialities like that.

When he heard him ask for her, she slowly left her canvas, took off her shirt smeared of paint and closed her bedroom door with a spell. She didn’t like it when people were in her room, much less strangers.

She knew she might marry the girl downstairs but that didn’t give her a free pass into her room.

She went downstairs and found her entire family surrounding two people. One was Alaric Saltzman in what Hope believed was supposed to be a nice suit but actually looked like a couple decades too old, and a crossbow hanging behind his back.

Beside him there was a girl, brown hair and brown eyes- pretty. Hope thought, yet she lingered at the absolute nothingness she felt when she saw her.

Everyone’s eyes moved to her when they notice her coming down the stairs. Alaric watched her with distrust while the rest of her family tried to smile at her in encouragement.

“This is Josette,” he said bluntly when she stood beside her parents, in front of Alaric and his daughter.

“Josie is fine,” she said timidly, while looking at Hope curiously.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Hope answered.

Silence filled the room. Rebekah cleared her throat and suggested starting dinner.

Dinner was awkward.

Hope tried to ask small questions to Josie and she’d either answer in quick words or not at all- her father interrupting her.

Both Klaus and Alaric where at the head of the table, facing each other. The last one looking over to each of the Mikaelsons every couple of seconds as if expecting one of them to jump and try to slit his throat at any moment- his bow had remained surely beside him during dinner.

Both Freya and Rebekah tried to ease him into a conversation discussing the ceremony, flowers, guests, that kind of thing- but he looked more uncomfortable and disinterested than before.

When the questions got directed at Josie, she shily answered. “Oh, I’m not the one marrying Hope. My sister is; Lizzie.” She clarified.

“Is that so?” Klaus answered, mischief in his eyes.

“Niklaus,” Elijah warned him and he moved his hand in a silent _don’t worry_ movement.

“Tell me, Alaric. Why didn’t you bring your firstborn here? You specifically said you would.”

“Elizabeth was… indisposed. She’ll be here tomorrow, with Caroline.” He explained.

“Tomorrow’s a full moon.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Let’s hope so. I would hate for this alliance to be over before it started.”

No one talked for the remaining minutes of dinner. Hope did not try to talk to Josie again either, she was not the one she was marrying.

Once it was alright to leave, she stood up and went back into the safety of her room.

* * *

Lizzie hadn’t talked to her mother since the night before, which meant the journey from Mystic Falls to New Orleans was silent.

Her mother had tried to bring up conversation with things like picking a wedding dress or having to decide what the house will look like during the ceremony, but not even the thought of ordering people around brought Lizzie any joy.

When they arrived, it was night time and the full moon shone brightly above them. Elijah Mikaelson greeted them and showed them to their rooms. Lizzie wondered why haven’t Hope’s parents greet them until she remembered they were hybrids and the full moon affected them, somehow.

The Mikaelson house was enormous. In every wall there was a painting from a known artists or artefacts that looked hundreds of years old.

Lizzie liked how, in some walls, there were paintings that didn’t looked expensive or well thought but rather from a kid that didn’t know how to grab a pencil just right yet.

When she stopped in front of one, slightly better painted- in it there were three wolfs, one of them was smaller and the other two were covering it from the shadows coming out of the forest- she noticed the small letters _HM_ on the right corner and wondered if Hope had brought that painting to life. She didn’t ask Elijah or her mother, instead she walked behind them in silence until they reached her room.

“This is your room, Elizabeth,” Elijah told her, opening the door, “your mother will be in the room in front of you and your father and sister are there,” he finished pointing to the two doors at the end of the hallway, “if you need anything I’ll be downstairs.”

Lizzie didn’t thank him but she sent him a quick smile in response.

The room was beautiful but old, was her first thought when she entered. The walls had a dark blue flowery paper from years ago and all the furniture on the room had to be at least three decades old. But the dark silk covers on the bed and the numerous mirrors in the room added a modernity to it- somehow it was beautiful and Lizzie slightly praise whoever was able to pull it off.

Leaving her bags on the side of the bed, she threw herself on the bed and looked up. Tomorrow, she’ll be meeting her future wife and every time she thought of it, she felt angrier than before.

Angry at whatever idiot had started this fight.

Angry at her father for making her do this and leaving without giving an explanation.

Angry at her mother for just accepting it.

Angry at the Mikaelsons for thinking this was a good idea too.

Angry at Hope, the girl she was going to marry, for not fighting for her freedom.

Angry at herself for not fighting either.

The house, regardless of how big it was, was loud- there was kind of an echo on it, Lizzie wondered if it was a safety measure. If she focused enough, she could hear the laughter of a couple in the floor below and the soft notes of a piano father down.

That’s why she woke up, a couple of hours later- still on the bed and in her journey clothes. Knowing she wouldn’t be sleeping any time soon again, she showered and decided to go look around the house- if she was going to live here, she might as well know the place.

She walked back from where Elijah had walked them and following the notes of the piano, she found him in the middle of a big ball room. The place was stunning, every single thing on it seemed to be covered in gold and only then, Lizzie realized what kind of money she was marrying into.

She was so entranced with the room she didn’t hear the melody of the piano stopping until she looked over at Elijah and found him observing her carefully.

He motioned to the piano, “Do you play?”

“No, not really,” she answered and her voice sounded hoarse from an entire day of not speaking.

“Come on,” he touched the space beside him in the couch, “I’ll teach you.”

Moments later, she found herself enjoying it. Elijah made no attempts to talk about the wedding and he didn’t ask why she wasn’t asleep either. She could almost feel as if she was in a real piano class.

“You’re good,” he said, once she mastered a couple notes quickly.

“Won’t you ask me what I’m doing wandering around the house?”

He smiled kindly, “My guess is that you could not sleep,” he smirked at her silence, “looks like I was right. Arranged marriages are not really a happy moment, for anyone involved,” he added.

Lizzie scoffed, “What would you know about that?”

He started playing again- the same she heard when she came into the room, “Last time there was a wedding in this house, I was in love with the bride and she wasn’t marrying me.”

“Who was she marrying?”

“My brother.”

“Oh.”

He laughed at that, “It all worked out, it will for you too,” he told her.

She nodded and with the excuse of being thirsty she stood up to leave, when she was by the room Elijah called for her.

“I’m sorry,” he said when she turned around, “that we couldn’t find another way.”

Lizzie found nothing but honesty in his eyes.

Walking around the long hallways of the house, she thought about all the stories her father had told her about the Mikaelsons.

All of blood and death.

Elijah, the manipulative- you’d be dying before you could realize because you were too enchanted by his suits and charm.

Klaus, the hybrid- the devil himself, he’d called him. Death and destruction following his every step.

Rebekah, she’d smile at you and death would be before you and you wouldn’t realize until it was too late- she’d still be smiling after.

Kol, the ripper. Piles on piles of dead bodies behind his trail, “feats” he’d call them.

Freya and Davina, their spell books were as long as their bodies count.

Hayley, who her father had called the “most rational” of them but whose loyalty remained unshakable.

And Hope, Lizzie knew absolutely nothing about her except that she was the youngest Mikaelson and she was supposed to marry her.

She stopped walking when she found the three portraits of the Elijah, Klaus and Rebekah. She stood there, every single story her father had ever told her and Josie about them going through her mind.

“That painting absolutely does not make me justice,” a voice sounded from behind her and Rebekah stood beside her a second later.

She was right, Lizzie thought. The picture gave her a soft face, her sharp edges not marked enough, the light blue dress making her look younger than she really was.

“Does anything?” Lizzie asked and at Rebekah’s smile she knew she had answered correctly.

“No, I suppose not. Cameras almost do though,” she smiled a bit softer and Lizzie interrupted before you could talk.

“Don’t apologize, your brother already has. And besides, it’s not like it’ll do anything.”

Rebekah laughed, “Elijah, I’m going to guess. But no, I wasn’t going to apologize. I was going to ask you if you already have a dress for tomorrow’s party.”

Lizzie slightly blushed at being wrong, “I have one, not sure it’ll match the ball room though.”

“Great. I had one made for you.”

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, “How do you know I’ll like it?”

“You will.”

She did.

Lizzie love it. It was the most gorgeous dress she’d ever tried on. It was a deep blue, kind of like the ocean at night. It had a V neck, it slit open in her right thigh- leaving it in display, the dress touched the floor even in the silver hells Rebekah had given her; and all the way from her left shoulder to her waist there were small red diamonds. It had to be adjusted, it was way too long even with Lizzie’s height and it was too baggy in her waist but wearing it, along with the matching bracelet made of red diamonds, made Lizzie feel like a princess.

“It’s- It’s- Wow. You have amazing taste,” Lizzie stuttered.

“I know,” the older blonde laughed, “I’m glad you like it, for a second I thought my niece was going to marry someone tasteless.”

And just like that, Lizzie was slapped with reality again. She sighed.

“I know it means nothing to you,” Rebekah said after a few moments, “but I was against this from the beginning. I really wish Hope had had the chance to marry whoever she decided, as well as you.”

Lizzie nodded, “I hope you don’t get angry at me when I change the wallpapers on the bedrooms though.”

Lizzie smirked at Rebekah’s laugh, “Darling, we’re going to get along perfectly.”

She forgot for a moment how her father had said that same smile had killed thousands, and smiled back.

* * *

The suit was as amazing as her aunt Rebekah said it would be. It fitted Hope perfectly. It was all red except for the small blue engravings on her right sleeve and shoulder. It matched perfectly with the blue stilettos her aunt had gotten for her at last minute. Hope had complained about how tall they were but Rebekah had brushed it off saying Lizzie was much taller than her.

Lizzie Saltzman, the girl she was supposed to marry in a month but who she could not put a face to the name yet. She had slept almost the entire day after last night, only waking up for breakfast- after her mother had more than thrown her out of the bed.

But when she had arrived to the table, Lizzie and Josie had already left leaving Caroline and Alaric with the rest of her family- and so she had missed her chance to meet her. After waking up from a much needed nap, she tried to find the girl around the house to no vail.

Knowing Lizzie would go to the party- she had to, they were both forced to it- Hope decided the best strategy would be looking presentable for when they do actually meet. She didn’t understand why she was nervous; she certainly wasn’t when she walked down the stairs thinking Josie was the girl she was to marry. But somehow, the thought of Lizzie brought butterflies to her stomach.

“You look gorgeous,” said her father, showing up behind her in the mirror.

He was wearing a suit similar to hers but in a darker shade of red. All the Mikaelsons were wearing red tonight, thanks to Rebekah’s insistence and work. Klaus extended her arm to her and she took it, appreciating the height the heels gave her when she noticed she was almost as tall as him.

“Those are quite the shoes,” he said, noting the difference too.

“Apparently, Lizzie is taller than me.”

“Well, most people are taller than you, my littlest wolf,” he smirked when she shoved him to the side.

They were walking side by side now- on their way to the ball room. The music could be heard around the house and only a few steps before the door, Hope started to feel nervous.

“We can still walk away; you can just turn around. I’ll say the deal is off and it will all be over,” Klaus said, hearing her racing heart and sharp breaths.

She looked into his eyes and rested their foreheads together, something she always did as a child when she was scared and wanted her father to protect her from the monsters under her bed. She breathed him in- his ridiculous expensive cologne and blood mixed with whiskey breath.

“I can do this,” she said, “I guess it’s my time to give my part in always and forever.”

“You are always part of it, marrying this girl or not. You’re our Hope.”

“I know,” she whispered, pulling back, “I still want to do this.”

Grabbing his left arm again, they walked together into the ballroom as the golden doors opened.

* * *

Lizzie realized, once at the party, that ignoring her supposed fiancée the entire day was not the best idea. Since she had no idea what she looked like or if she was already here or if she didn’t know what Lizzie looked like either.

So basically, she was spending her time not talking to her mother and scoffing every time Josie found something new to be amazed at- right now, it was the dark haired girl sitting a couple of tables over.

She didn’t recognize most of the people in the room, only the people that had traveled from Mystic Falls and Mikaelsons that were going around the room, saying hello to everyone they crossed paths with- they mostly stayed out of the Mystic Falls section.

“Hello, Mrs. Future Niece In-Law,” a British voice said from the chair besides her, she turned around, “I’m Kol, the much better looking uncle.”

He was good looking, Lizzie thought. And had no doubt in her mind that most people fell over for a charming white guy like him, even if it meant their deaths.

She smiled politely, “Hello.”

“That’s all I get?” he said in a loud exasperated voice, “oh, come on. Elijah said you guys had a pretty piano moment and all I get is a ‘hello’?”

“Tell me,” she said after a moment, not really knowing what to say, “was all the red an accident or did you decided to look like the group from Money Heist on propose?”

He was wearing a red and black suit, similar to Elijah’s, while Freya, Hayley and Rebekah had red dresses. While all were different styles and shades of red, one could easily pin point the Mikaelsons if you looked for red.

Kol, at her question, laughed. “We’ve got my dear sister to thank for that, I’m afraid. You’ll have to get used to it for the next event too, love.”

“Whatever,” Lizzie said, rolling her eyes.

“This party is boring isn’t it? Want to make it fun?” She eyed him, “this room is filled with people secretly hating, fucking and loving each other,” he explained, “once you know all the… gossip, this party gets way more fun.”

Lizzie turned to him and smirked, “Oh, you think I won’t be able to keep up with you?”

“Can you?”

“You have no idea who you’re talking to, Kol Mikaelson.”

She smirked and Kol smirked back. Maybe the Mikaelsons weren’t so bad after all.

It was ten minutes later, five minutes into the Park family drama, when the ball room’s door opened and Klaus came in with is daughter at his side.

Hope.

She was gorgeous, Lizzie thought. Deep red suit with blue diamonds that made Hope’s eye stand out. The music started and Lizzie watched her and Klaus begin dancing in the middle of the room, people joining them a few seconds later.

“Come on,” said her father, showing up in front of her and extending his hand.

She thought of not taking it, make a scene out of it and not give his father the satisfaction of bossing her around but she thought better of it and slowly got to her feet.

She knew the dance by heart. Her mother had taught it to her and Josie since they were little and the school dances made all the students do it at least once. So, Lizzie knew how to move in a ball room, she knew she looked good while doing it too. One step forward, one step back- Lizzie tried not to think how perfectly it described her relationship with her father.

“You won’t even apologize?” she asked him once in the middle of the dance floor.

“It is necessary that you do this, Elizabeth,” he answered, not looking to her eyes but instead over her shoulders- looking for a threat, like always.

“Would you at least look at me? They won’t do anything in the middle of a fucking truce ceremony.”

“You’d be surprised,” he looked into her eyes, “you’ll have to be careful, Lizzie. Their charms will make you like them,” he warned her.

“So, you send me off to marry a Mikaelson knowing I could perfectly end up being their puppet? That’s great, dad.”

“Look Lizzie, I know you don’t understand-”

“No, I don’t understand but you never tell me anything. You left before you could,” she interrupted him.

“Look, all Mikaelsons are liars. You can’t trust them.”

“Really? Well, they’ve been nicer to me in the entire day I’ve been here than you in my entire life,” she replied.

“That’s because they don’t know what you are.”

She stopped dancing, in the middle of the room. Someone accidentally bumped into her because of this. She took her hands out of her father’s.

“Lizzie,” he urged, “don’t make a scene.”

“I’m not the one telling his daughter she’s crazy right before leaving her to marry someone they don’t trust,” she turned around and left the dance floor.

She went back to her table and grabbed a cup of wine and drunk it throwing her head back. When she looked down, she saw her hands were shaking and the glass was slowly cracking. She tried to take deep breaths and find her mother, she saw her on the other side of the room- dancing with Stefan, her husband. She tried to find Josie but she was timidly chatting with a girl. She looked around desperate and felt the rest of the table softly starting to shake too. She closed her eyes.

 _Not now. Not now._ She thought.

“Hey,” a soft voice said at her side while two hands reached and took the glass away from her hands, “look at me.”

She forced her eyes open and saw Freya Mikaelson worriedly staring back at her.

“Deep breaths,” she continued, “listen to my voice and nothing else, come on.”

Freya’s voice was soft and firm, and it calmed Lizzie down faster than she thought it would. When she looked down, she saw the small butterfly made of light that Freya had casted- a calmness spell.

“Thank you,” Lizzie said, once she was breathing normally, “please don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” she said, taking Lizzie’s hand and pulling her to sit down in two of the chairs beside the table.

Lizzie breathed deeply, exhaustion getting to her.

“I get them too,” Freya said, “the outbursts,” she clarified.

“Thank you for calming me down, I don’t think I’d have been a very good first impression for anyone.”

“Nonsense, don’t tell my wife I told you this,” she said in a whisper- kind of conspiracy way, “but I broke two windows and one mirror trying to calm myself down before my wedding.”

Lizzie laughed quietly, “Thank you.”

“Any time,” she said and then she stood up, “you should go to your seat, the dance is about to finish.”

Giving her a quick smile, Lizzie stood up. On her way to her chair, too distracted by her thoughts, she collided with someone.

“Jesus, watch where you’re going-” she looked up and found Hope Mikaelson’s big blue eyes staring back at her, “Oh- it’s- you’re…”

“Hope,” she said finally leaving her trance, she extended her hand, “uhh-”

Lizzie took it and shook it- she tried to pay no attention to the way the blue diamonds in Hope’s sleeve found perfectly the red ones in her bracelet, she praised Rebekah once again.

“Cat’s got your tongue?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Um- no I-”

“Please tell me you do know how to speak,” Lizzie complained, “God, I can’t believe I’m getting married to you.”

Hope furrowed her eyebrows, “I do know how to speak.”

“Great, for a second I thought we wouldn’t be able to get married because you can’t say _I do_ ,” Lizzie commented in a condescending tone.

“What’s your problem? You don’t even know me.”

“I’m getting married to you, that’s my problem.”

"Well I'm sure being married to you isn't going to be rainbows and sunshine"

They were standing in front of each other, frowns on their faces when a voice interrupted their staring match.

"Elizabeth, a dance?" Klaus asked, extending his hand and giving Hope a pat in the shoulder as he moved towards the middle of the room.

"There's no more music," she points out, following him into the dance floor, leaving Hope behind.

"That's not a problem," he said, signaling to the band to start playing again.

He put his hand in her hips, took her hand in his and started to move. He was good- better than her father and anyone she'd ever danced with; thousands of years would do that to you, she thought.

"I wanted to say thank you," he spoke after a few seconds.

"I never thought Klaus Mikaelson knew those words."

"I make an effort for my family," he answered with a smirk.

"So, one of your siblings forced you to this?"

"There was no need. You'll be part of this family soon. I know the reasons why that is are not how everyone would have chosen... But you'll have a family here, Elizabeth."

"Lizzie," she corrects, "since we're gonna be a family, you should call me that."

"Lizzie, then," he finished making her turn on her feet, "welcome to the family."

He stepped back and grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waitress, moving closer to her ear he whispered, “You look lovely, by the way,” before leaving to his seat. Lizzie following close by.

Once there, surrounded by his family. He raised his glass and hit it twice with a knife. His voice echoed around the room and everyone turned their heads to him.

“I want to welcome you all,” he started, “as you all know, we are here to celebrate a truce and to join our kingdom with Mystic Falls. You might remember the night we introduced you to my daughter, Hope,” he smiles to her direction, “I asked you to protect her then, and now, she is protecting us all. With this marriage we will start a new era of peace and prosperity,” he pointed to Alaric- Lizzie noticed the way he tensed, “Alaric, we thank you for accepting our family to be bonded to yours, uniting both our kingdoms- in peace. Welcome to the family, mate,” raising his glass above his head, he shouted, “to Hope and Lizzie!”

* * *

Dinner passed quickly, which each family in each side of the long rectangular table. Hope and Lizzie sat side by side in the middle of it. They didn’t talk. They didn’t look at each other and if anyone in their families noticed, they didn’t mention it.

Once dinner ended and people slowly started to leave the house, Hope touched Lizzie’s shoulder to catch her attention but ended up making her jump.

“Sorry,” she said.

“What is it? Is it time to lock me in the tower?” Lizzie asked, rolling her eyes.

“You sure look like Rapunzel but no, I was wondering if you’ll go for a walk with me.”

Lizzie turned around and noticed the looks her mother and father were throwing at her so she turned back to Hope and smiled sarcastically, “Sure.”

Hope guided Lizzie through hallways and stairs she had never seen in all her exploring of the house. They ended up in the terrace. The place was only illuminated by the bright light of an almost full moon and with a flick of Hope’s wrists a hundred candles all around the place light up. The tiny lights of every candle reflected in Lizzie’s eyes and Hope had the sudden urge of paint it until her hands ached. She was beautiful.

“I know you don’t like me-”

“That’s an understatement,” Lizzie interrupted, crossing her arms.

Hope sighed, “But I want us to start on a good note-”

“How can you be so calm about this?” Lizzie interrupted again, screaming this time, “they are deciding who we spend the rest of our lives with, and we don’t have any say on it!”

Hope smiled sadly and walked over to the edge of the roof, carefully sitting on it. She waited until Lizzie walked over to her and sat in front of her. She looked over to the city.

“All those people have lives too; families, friends, lovers. Sometimes I go and just watch them. They have a simple life and they like it,” Hope smiled surprised, “some wish for power and money, but most just like the fact that they get to go home. A war will take that away from them- it’ll only be death and destruction,” she looked over to Lizzie, who was looking at her with wonder, “and I know this means destroying some of our choices but…” she thought her next words carefully, “my mother believes some arranged marriages are great romances, some star crossed lovers defying all odds kind of way. I rather think that’s dumb but maybe you’ll be open to try to be happy with me?”

She ended her speech opening a small red velvet box to show a beautiful engagement ring and Lizzie looked at her surprised.

“Lizzie?” Hope asked after a few minutes of silence

“I hate you,” she answered, head held high and tears in her eyes, “I hate that they’ve taken all our choices away from us and you’re doing absolutely nothing to stop it-”

“Lizzie-”

She raised her hand to stop Hope, “That being said, I would like us to be friends,” she smiled softly, “friends if nothing else.”

Hope grinned and gently took Lizzie’s hand on hers.

"Friends, if nothing else," she agreed, putting the engagement ring on Lizzie’s finger.


	2. Chapter 2

> _And so it all boils down to this_
> 
> _We've got our aim but we might miss_
> 
> _We are too fragile just to guess_
> 
> _And I've been in this place before_
> 
> _Fine as we are but we want more_
> 
> _That's human nature at its best_
> 
> _…_
> 
> _What if we ruin it all?_
> 
> _And we love like fools_
> 
> _And all we have we'll lose_
> 
> _I don't want you to go_
> 
> _But I want you so_
> 
> _So tell me what we choose_
> 
> **Fools, Lauren Aquilina.**

The Saltzmans left the next day after breakfast, Alaric seemed to be eager to leave New Orleans as soon as possible.

Hayley, Elijah and Klaus were talking to each other while Hope read a book when Alaric, Caroline, Josie and Lizzie entered the room. Hope looked up shyly and smiled at Lizzie from her book before going back to it.

When everyone sat on the table two girls came in with larges trays of food and drinks; fruits, bread, butter, honey, eggs, meat, tea and coffee.

Lizzie watched curiously as Hope picked up different fruits, she was wearing black jeans and a sleeveless dark green t-shirt- Lizzie took in the sight of her arms and when their eyes met, she quickly took hers away.

“Alaric. Caroline,” spoke Elijah raising from his chair, “I expect everything is ready for your safe return?”

“It is, thank you,” Caroline answered at Alaric’s lack of response.

“Very well. Elizabeth,” he directed himself at Lizzie, “if you need anything, be sure to ask.”

She nodded and he left.

The rest of breakfast was spent in silence. Once they were finished, the Saltzmans left to the streets and Hope watched from her bedroom window how Lizzie hugged her twin and mother- she looked away when she saw the older woman wiping away the tears in Lizzie’s cheeks.

She heard a knock on her door and looked up to see her mother coming through it. Hope moved to sit on one the small couches beside all her paintings and Hayley sat on the foot of the bed. She looked at Hope expectantly.

“What?”

“What?” she copied, “are you not going to tell me how it went? I saw she had the ring this morning.”

“We agreed on being friends,” Hope replied.

“Oh, sweetie-”

“It’s better like this,” she cut her off, “there’s no point in forcing something that won’t be.”

Hayley kneeled in front of Hope and softly touched her cheek, “Well, she might surprise you. You never know.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “you never know.”

* * *

She had been waiting for Lizzie, laying in one of the library couches reading a book. The room itself was full of books from floor to ceiling. Some desks were pushed against windows that started in the ground and ended in the middle of the roof in a window that illuminated the entire room- something her aunt had designed so that the natural light would brighten the room. Some plants and paintings gave the final touch to what Lizzie called the _Mikaelson style_ \- fancy, mysterious and elegant.

“Lizzie!” she called out when she saw the blonde passing the library’s door, when she reached her, she noticed her red eyes, “are you okay?”

Lizzie scoffed, “No, of course not. My family just left and now I’m stuck here. With you.”

Hope looked down, “Right. Sorry.”

“Did you want something?” Lizzie asked at the auburn girl’s silence.

“I was wondering if you wanted to spend some time with me, you know, so that we’re comfortable with each other for the trails,” she answered nervously.

“The trails?”

Hope looked at her in confusion, “Did your father not talk you through the ceremony?”

“I don’t have the best relationship with my father.”

“What about your mother?”

“I- uh- kind of ignored her on the way here,” Lizzie said looking down in shame.

When she looked back up, she saw Hope smiling softly at her, “That’s okay, I can tell you about them now, if you want to.”

“I’d like that.”

They walked back to the couch Hope was sitting in and faced each other. The ceremony of Divulgement was rather simple, Hope explained; the ceremony consisted smoking Blue Calamus root, the plant known as truth serum, to share all their secrets.

“All of them?” Lizzie asked nervously.

Hope frowned, putting her hand in Lizzie’s thigh, “Yeah, is that okay?”

The blonde opened her mouth to answer when Klaus came into the room, he looked down to Hope’s hand and smirked when she quickly took it away at his presence.

“The hearings are about to start,” he said, as Hope stood up from the couch.

“The hearings?” Lizzie asked following Klaus and Hope out of the library and down the corridor.

“Public hearings. Any citizen can come to put forth a request, objection, or seek guidance from our family,” Hope explained.

“What about their own leaders? Why not go to them?”

“Some people come here when they don’t agree with their local justice, sometimes what they seek is counsel, guidance, aid.”

The idea sounded unbelievable to Lizzie, used to her father solving problems when they slapped him in the face and her mother focusing on the school.

Knowing the Mikaelsons heard what their people had to say, did not sound like all their stories about them and that did not sit right with Lizzie. She was about to ask another question when she realized that she had follow them into the hearing room. She saw Rebekah, Kol, Elijah and Hayley sitting in a long table in front of a door that directed to the streets- there were two empty chairs waiting to be occupied by Klaus and Hope.

“Would you like to join us?” she asked softly, big blue eyes looking expectantly at her.

“Pass,” she turned around and left.

* * *

The first week in New Orleans was hard.

Even when Hope’s family was as welcoming as they could be, Lizzie still missed her mother and sister- their talks over the phone or a magic prism were not the same. She could feel herself starting to feel trapped inside the house- she had started a routine of calming down her nerves every morning, doing the breathing exercises her father had taught her, so as to avoid a breakdown and the Mikaelsons finding out about her before the wedding.

And she knew she could easily go out, but it wasn’t like she had any places to go. Instead, she spent her time reading some of the books from the library- sometimes Hope joining her in her silence- or replaying the few notes Elijah had taught her on the piano.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served in the same room she had had breakfast with her family before they left, but, she noticed, that the placed seemed more livid when all the Mikalesons were joking around the room.

She hadn’t spoken much to Hope except for the few small talks they did during meals and the day Lizzie had gone to see her in her room one night. She had lifted her hand to knock just as the door swung open.

“Lizzie,” Hope had said surprised. “I was about to go see you.”

“You were?” she asked hopeful.

“Yeah.”

They froze in the doorway silent for a few seconds, a shadow of embarrassment and uncertainty around them.

“Come in, please,” Hope said, finally breaking the awkwardness and stepping to the side to let her in.

Once inside, Lizzie took in the room. To the right of the door there was a chest filled with different pictures of Hope and her family on top of it, there was even one of Hope and the girl Josie had flirted with on the night of the dance. On the middle of the room, against the wall, there was a king sized bed- similar to the one Lizzie had in her bedroom.

The nicest thing in the room though, was the entire section around the window. There was a small couch and in front of it there was a table filled with paints, brushes, pencils and books- a easel proudly standing beside it all.

“You paint?” Lizzie asked as Hope quickly took the canvas out of the easel and set it down on the floor- it’s content not facing Lizzie.

“I do, since I was a child.”

“I think I saw some of your paintings on the walls when I got here.”

“Oh,” Hope said blushing, “yeah, my dad likes to hang his favorites.”

Silence filled the room as Lizzie looked around, taking in all the details. Hope cleared her throat, uncomfortable.

“So, did you need something?”

Lizzie, raised an eyebrow, “I thought you were the one going to see me.”

“Well, you were the one almost knocking on my nose. So, you first.”

“I need new clothes because I didn’t take in count this kind of weather,” she started motioning to the rain outside, “didn’t rain this much back home.”

“Oh, it’s probably because it’s almos-”

“Whatever. I need new clothes which means I need to go to the city, which means you and I can hang out today.”

“Why is that last part harder for me to understand than all the rest?”

“I thought you wanted us to be friends too.”

“I do,” Hope replied quickly, “but if you need clothes that badly I can just lend you some.”

Lizzie looked down to Hope’s ripped jeans and the green t-shirt she’d seen her in a few days ago, “yeah… no thanks.”

Noticing the dark circles under Lizzie’s eyes and the way she kept playing with her fingers, she asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Smiling tightly, Lizzie said, “Yeah- I’m fine.”

* * *

Three days into her second week she was pacing in front of Klaus’ office. Tomorrow, her and Hope would go into the woods from New Orleans and perform the Ceremony of Divulgement in which they revealed all their secrets, if Hope didn’t accept her, then her one chance at helping people will be gone.

She knocked on the door.

“Elizabeth,” It was Elijah answering the door, he opened it to let her in, “is everything okay?”

The room was big, like every room inside the house. This one, though, seemed to be where all things were run from, she guessed from the amounts of papers on the various tables. She looked over to Klaus, who was sitting behind a desk- a glass of scotch on his hand.

“My father is coming back here the day after tomorrow.”

Elijah frowned and Klaus raised his eyebrows, “Yes, we do know that unfortunate news.”

Lizzie clenched her jaw, “You help people, right? Your people?”

“We try to give as much as we can so that everyone can enjoy our kingdom,” answered Elijah.

“What about the people that are not from this kingdom?”

“Is there are problem, Lizzie?” Klaus asked, resting his elbows on the table.

“My father-” she took a deep breath, “I don’t think he’s protecting the people from Mystic Falls.”

The brothers shared a look, it’s Klaus who spoke first.

“What makes you say that?”

“I found a boy once,” she started, head down, “he was tied up in one of our houses basements… when I asked him how he got there he told me my father had capture him,” she looked up and her teary eyes met Klaus’, “he was a wolf and my father had him there as if he was a beast.”

Elijah extended the handkerchief of his suit to her, he looked over to Klaus again and at his subtle nod he started talking, “We’ve heard stories about your father’s misdoings but we have not found enough evidence to dethrone him.”

“I can help,” Lizzie said quickly, “I let the boy out, maybe we can find him and he can tell his story.”

Klaus stood up and walked over to Lizzie, he was only a few inches taller than her but his presence and power was something Lizzie was able to feel all the way across the room- like with every Mikaelson, she could sense the power of an original and her siphoning was always begging her to _take_.

“You would raise against your family?”

Lizzie shrugged her shoulders, “He was never that nice to me anyway,” she smirked, “Plus, didn’t you say I was part of this family now?”

He smiled brightly at her then he smiled at his brother with a new light in his eyes and moving back to the table and pushing everything above it to the floor with his arms, he said, “Let’s get to work, shall we?”

* * *

“This is stupid,” Lizzie complained for the third time.

“So you’ve said,” Hope rolled her eyes.

It had been a few minutes since Freya had left them alone in the woods- if Hope focused enough, she could still hear her footsteps going back to the house.

She tried to keep her focus on Lizzie, though. The blonde did not make it easy. She had been snapping at Hope for the last couple of days repeatedly.

And logically, she knew she did it because Hope was her easiest target- it wasn’t like she could yell and snap at someone else inside her family. But she kept trying to have a nice conversation with Lizzie and she’d only get sassy remarks or sarcasm in return- which is why they were sitting in a fall branch of a tree in awkward silence.

“Let’s just get this over with,” said Hope, kneeling to grab the roll of blue calamus root.

“Wait,” said Lizzie, grabbing her arm- stopping her. Hope looked at her expectantly, “Do we like, _really_ have to do this? Can’t we just say we told each other everything and call it a day.”

“It doesn’t work like that. We have to-”

“Complete the ritual for the ceremony to work,” the blonde ended tiredly.

“Lizzie,” Hope put her hand on Lizzie’s knee and waited until she looked at her, “whatever it is, I won’t judge you.”

Lizzie swallowed and breathed shakily, “Okay.”

She watched curiously as Hope lit up the roll and smoked, no coughing.

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, “Done this before, Mikaelson?”

She smirked back, “Well, you don’t know all about me yet, love.”

Lizzie looked at the plant suspiciously, mentally said _fuck it_ and took a drag out of it- it surprised her to realize it was kind of sweet.

They didn’t go right into the heavy stuff.

Hope asked her about Mystic Falls, she asked about New Orleans in return.

Hope found Lizzie liked to read history books- and fantasy but Hope was under vow to never tell anyone that.

In exchange, Hope told her about her art, her paintings- the one she made after one of her parents’ enemies tried to kill her, two big wolves protecting a smaller one.

They laughed and joke around for a long while- Hope had never felt lighter and Lizzie didn’t remember the last time her mind was so calm.

When Lizzie started to play with her hands again, noticing her nervousness, Hope stood up and extended her hand to her, “Come on.”

Lizzie frowned, “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere. We should dance.”

“Dance?”

“Yeah, we didn’t get to the other night.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Lizzie laughed, putting one hand in Hope’s and the other on her hip.

Hope frowned, took both her hands and put them both in her shoulders, resting hers in Lizzie’s hip. It made her tower over Hope so she looked at her disbelieving, “You know, this should be the other way. Since I’m taller and all.”

“This is no time for your shortphobia, Saltzman.”

“Shortphobia? I can’t believe I’m stuck with you now.”

Hope shushed her and told her to _enjoy the silence_ , whatever that meant.

She watched as Hope closed her eyes while they were swinging back and forward, to the right and to the left. She looked beautiful with her hair messy from the wind and the light of the sunset making the little freckles on her nose stand out.

Hope licked her lips and the action made Lizzie’s eyes drop to them, when she looked back up, Hope was watching hers with as much want. She started leaning forward-

“I need to tell you something,” Lizzie broke the moment, stepping back.

Hope, finally snapping herself out of her trance, nodded and waited for Lizzie to start.

“I’m working with your father and uncle to dethrone my father.”

“I’m sorry, you’re _what_?”

“I went to talk to them yesterday. My father…he’s not a good man, much less what he seems to be. He- he… I think he’s killing and selling people around our country to keep the rest in line.”

“You think so? You’re making a possible conflict on a hunch?” Hope asked perplexed, “Jesus Lizzie, the only reason we’re getting married is to stop a war, not make a new one.”

“It’s not a hunch! I’ve seen it,” Lizzie breathed out, “look. My dad is coming back tomorrow, we already have a plan, I didn’t want you to get involved in this but this fucking plant means I can’t keep things from you.”

“That’s not the point, Lizzie,” she said, extending out her hands, “we’re going to be _married_ , are we going to need a truth serum every time we talk to each other?”

“No, of course not it’s just-”

“What? You thought you had to take care of me? I can take care of myself just fine, why can’t anyone see that?”

Hope screamed, throwing herself back to the floor and resting her back against the trunk. Lizzie, surprised, sat beside her.

“I feel like this isn’t really about me, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not,” she shook her head, tears in her eyes, “I activated my wolf curse a few months ago and everyone has been walking on egg shells with me ever since.”

 _Oh_. “So- uh. You-”

“I did. It was an accident. Some random guy was trying to steal from a woman in the market. I tried to make him stop, told him to leave. Instead he grabbed my arm so tightly it left a mark so I panicked and my magic goes out of control when I do and- he went flying in the air,” she took a deep breath, tears already on her cheeks, “and I thought it was fine at first, you know? He was a big guy. But then a woman screamed he wasn’t breathing.”

Hope didn’t continue so Lizzie accepted that as the end of the story.

“Thank you for telling me,” she whispered. She put her hand on top of Hope’s and squeezed. “I’m bipolar,” Hope’s eyes jumped to hers, “and I’m not telling you this to down play what happened to you but to say… I understand. I’m used to people thinking I’m crazy or fragile or dangerous or simply a laughing stock- I guess you will now, too,” she half laughed - half scoffed.

“Lizzie,” she turned her hands around and took Lizzie’s in hers, “something like that would never change the way I see you,” she smiled softly at Lizzie’s surprised face, “with a father and grandfather like mine, I’m probably not immune to those issues myself. I don’t take it lightly and I would never make fun of you for it.”

“I believe you.”

They stare at each other, soft smiles and kind eyes- Lizzie wondered when had her heart started to beat so fast. Trying to break the tension she smirked.

“So, does this mean that the little princess is actually a little wolf?”

“Oh my God,” Hope groaned, “you’re so annoying.”

Before she could realize what she was doing, her hand flew up and smear a large handful of mud across Lizzie’s face. The blonde stilled in shock, mouth agape, eyes wide and blinking slowly. For a moment she panicked, thinking she had over stepped and Lizzie would be back to snark and sarcasm.

But then, Lizzie was laughing. A surprised, toothy, eyes shining.

Hope felt awe struck from the breathtaking vision before her. The _happiest_ she had seen of Lizzie had been half smiles and quiet chuckles, not completely full belly laugh. A few seconds later she left a wet hand across her cheek and stared open mouthed as Lizzie threw herself back in laughter. 

“Lizzie!” She complained.

“You started!” answered the blonde, reaching down to grab another handful of mud.

Before she could, Hope got to her knees and thrusted forward grabbing Lizzie’s wrists in her hands, sending Lizzie and herself down to the floor. Lizzie, with her wrists held over her head and Hope kneeling between her legs.

Hope couldn’t help but think again about how beautiful the blonde was. Even with half her face covered in mud, hair tangled with branches and grass while breathing heavily; Hope found she was the most gorgeous view she’d ever seen.

She couldn’t stop her eyes from moving down to her lips, a sudden urge to dip down and kiss Lizzie until they were breathless. She saw the way the blonde’s eyes flickered down to her lips too and so Hope slowly leaned in when Lizzie tensed and cleared her throat. Hope quickly jumped away from her as if she was on fire.

“Sorry,” she said, looking away in disappointment.

Lizzie threw a kind smile in her direction as they both stood up and cleaned the mud from her faces, with a soft _we should go back_ from the blonde, they started walking side by side back to the house.

Hope tried not to think too much about the way Lizzie tangled their fingers together.

She failed.

* * *

An hour after arriving to the house and showering, Hope was outside Lizzie’s door. She was on her pajamas and barefoot, she questioned the decision of showing up like this and was about to turn around to change when she knocked on a stupid act of bravery.

“Hope,” Lizzie greeted her, “is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, I was wondering if we could… hang out?”

Lizzie smirked, leaning her body on the side of the door, “Can’t get enough of me, can you?”

Hope blushed but before she could answer, Lizzie opened the door fully and went back to sit on the floor and closed her eyes. Hope frowned.

“What are you doing?”

“Shh…”

“Lizzie-”

“I said _Shh_.”

Closing the door behind her, Hope looked around the room. Lizzie hadn’t changed it much except for the few portraits on the bedside table and the piles of books she had brought with her from home. She went to pick up one of the books when the blonde spoke.

“You know, it’s not very polite to snoop around someone else’s things.”

She took her hand away from the books, looking back ashamedly to Lizzie, but she was still cross legged and with her eyes closed on the floor. She sighed and turned to leave- thinking that as much as she might want to be around Lizzie, she might not feel the same.

"Can you stay here for a little longer? I don't want to..." _be alone_ , Lizzie trailed off- stopping Hope.

“Of course. Are you going to keep doing…?” she asked.

“No, I just finished,” she said, sitting on the right side of the bed, “They’re breathing exercises. Dad taught them to be, you know, when he still cared,” Lizzie explained at the confusion on Hope’s face.

“Oh, do they help?”

“Sometimes,” a silence, “lay with me for a bit?” she asked, letting her head touch the pillow.

She closed her eyes, not waiting for an answer. And when Hope actually understood what Lizzie had asked, she walked to the bed and awkwardly laid back on the bed facing the ceiling.

“Do you ever have nightmares?” Hope asked quietly, so quietly that if Lizzie hadn’t answered she might have thought she hadn’t said it at all.

“Sometimes, do you?”

“Yes, a lot, actually. They mostly started after I killed that man.”

Lizzie opened her eyes, her eyes focused on the small wrinkle between Hope’s eyebrows, “Is that why you’re here?”

“I think so, I don’t know why, though,” she looked at her, “is that okay?”

“It is,” she said, closing her eyes, “now, go to sleep, I’m tired.”

“Oh, yeah-” Hope made an attempt to leave the bed but a hand on her arm stopped her.

“I mean here, Hope.”

After a few second, Hope dipped further down on the bed, resting her head on the pillow beside Lizzie’s, getting more comfortable, and drifted to sleep. The face of the man didn’t take long to show up and she jumped awake like every night. But Lizzie’s warm hand grabbed hers to calm her down.

''It's ok. You're safe, it was just a nightmare,” she said softly and sleepy.

Once her heart slowed down, she lightly squeezed the blonde’s hand in thanks. It happened once more in the night but when it did, Lizzie’s hand was still in hers.

She woke up to a mess of blonde hair in her face, Lizzie’s face on the crook of her neck and so warm she left like she was burning up. She tried to push the blonde away from her but the arm around her waist and the legs entangled with hers made it impossible.

“Lizzie,” she whispered.

“I’m sleeping,” she answered, not making an effort of moving.

“I’m hot.”

Lizzie scoffed, “Confident much?”

“No, I mean I’m burning up, get off me.”

Lizzie snuggled deeper into Hope’s neck, “I’m comfortable.”

Hope laughed softly, “Never would have guessed you were a cuddler.”

“I could strangle you right now.”

“You won’t thought,” she breathed her in for a moment and repeated, softer this time, “please, get off me?”

Lizzie groaned and threw herself back into her side of the bed. She looked out of the window and noticed it was morning, she realized too, this was the first time she had slept so well since that day in the market. She smiled to the blonde, even if she was still pretending to sleep- unaware of the love sick smile on Hope’s face.

“I should probably go,” she said, “I don’t think we would survive all the teasing if someone sees me leaving your room.”

Lizzie frowned, eyes still closed, “We’re going to be married in a week, it’s not like we won’t sleep on the same bed then.”

“We don’t have to, actually.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t it tradition?”

Hope chuckled, “My family is well past that. We can sleep on separate room so long we remain loyal to each other.”

“Oh,” Lizzie opened her eyes, “do you want that?”

“I just want you to be comfortable, Lizzie.”

“And what do _you_ want?”

She guessed _I want you_ wasn’t the kind of answer Lizzie would have wanted. So, she smiled so softly and sadly at her, she felt a pang in her heart.

Lizzie looked at her expectantly like her answer was going to be _more paintings, a new book_ \- she didn’t know how to ask Lizzie to love her.

Hope lowered her head and exhaled, resting her forehead on Lizzie’s shoulder. Staying there for a few minutes, when she spoke Lizzie’s eyes were closed again

“Thank you,” she said quietly and clarified, “for last night.”

She lifted her head and pressed a kiss on the blonde’s cheek. She quickly exited the bed and left the room. She didn’t turn around to see Lizzie smiling brightly, touching her cheek.

* * *

Hayley found Lizzie while she was walking down the stairs. She asked if they could talk in private. She followed her back up into one of the smallest offices in the house- by small she means two sizes her room, but still.

She was about to ask if something was wrong when Hayley wrapped her in her arms and hold her tight, she tried not to cry- Hayley hugged her and it remind her of her mom and how much she missed her.

She hugged a bit tighter than Caroline and she put her chin on top of Lizzie’s head instead of her shoulder, but the comfort it brought her was all the same.

“What was that for?” she asked once they separated.

“Klaus told me what you’re trying to do, it’s stupid,” she answered, “but really brave.”

“Oh- I didn’t think they’d tell you.”

Hayley chuckled, “He knows better than to keep things from me,” after a few moments of silence she continued, more seriously, “I wanted to apologize too, actually.”

“Apologize?”

“Yeah. I haven’t been the kindest to you, or open- to put it better,” she sighed, “I just get really protective over Hope sometimes. I was really against the idea of this marriage at first, maybe more than you because I simply don’t want anything to hurt her and you looked _so_ against this, I thought you might take it out on her- that she deserved better. I see that’s wrong now.”

“I care about Hope,” she said as sincerely as she could, “I didn’t like her at first but… I know her now and I don’t want anything to happen to her either.”

“I believe you,” she paused for a moment, “I really did judge you wrong. I’m sorry.”

“For what it’s worth, I do believe Hope deserves better than me.”

Hayley quickly put her hands on her shoulders, “Hey, look at me- you have an amazing heart, Lizzie. I know it’s hard for one to see it sometimes but you’re just as deserving of the Mikaelson name as I am.”

“Thank you,” she answered softly, tears in her eyes. She shallowed hard, “Don’t take this the wrong way but I think you should let Hope be sometimes- make her own decisions. She can take care of herself.”

“That’s a bit hard for me, but I’ll try” she said smiling softly and putting a strand of hair behind Lizzie’s ear, “plus, I wouldn’t want to enter Hope’s room and see you two making out or worse.”

Lizzie groaned, “Oh my god, okay, this conversation is over.”

Hayley laughed as the blonde walked away.

Once she reached the end of the stairs, she realized she was actually not against the idea of making out with Hope Mikaelson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kind and great comments, I really really appreciate it. Scream with me on twitter @lgbtdomlene


	3. Chapter 3

> _Can I go where you go?_
> 
> _Can we always be this close forever and ever?_
> 
> _And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)_
> 
> _You're my, my, my, my lover_
> 
> _Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?_
> 
> _With every guitar string scar on my hand_
> 
> _I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover_
> 
> _My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue_
> 
> _All's well that ends well to end up with you_
> 
> _Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover_
> 
> _And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me_
> 
> _And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover_
> 
> _Can I go where you go?_
> 
> _Can we always be this close forever and ever?_
> 
> _And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)_
> 
> _You're my, my, my, my_
> 
> _Oh, you're my, my, my, my_
> 
> _Darling, you're my, my, my, my lover_
> 
> **Lover, Taylor Swift.**

Lizzie remembered, for most of her life, that as a princess she should always aspire to greatness. Remembered spending most of her childhood with Josie reading books and watching movies- trying to find the way to be _perfect_.

The perfect daughter.

The perfect sister.

The perfect witch.

The perfect princess.

And while Josie had figured it out almost right away, there was something that never really clicked for Lizzie. Instead of things clicking into place, they always seemed to be more and more shattered with every episode she ever had.

Once upon a time, when they had just started. She remembered her father being worried- careful with her in a loving way. After the years went by and she still didn’t get better, her father started to not take her on royal duties anymore- Josie would always leave with an _I’m sorry you’re not coming with us._ She should have known that was what would really separate them.

The anger inside of Lizzie growing as the crown above Josie’s head did.

She should have also known that at the first sight of getting rid of her, her father would agree to anything.

She should have known not to let his words get to her. But the words he told her still ring on her ears.

She should have known better than to talk to him, period.

She was so happy this morning, waking up besides Hope. Their legs tangled together and her face on her neck as if it was the most comfortable pillow she’d ever tried. Hope smiling at her, kissing her cheek. It was almost as if she could feel the future that was about to come.

And now it felt like it was crashing down.

Dinner was silent, few conversations far in between- like it always was when her father was in the house. A very different image from the everyday Mikaelson house. It was only Alaric, Klaus, Hayley, Elijah, Hope and Lizzie sitting around the table.

Alaric was watching Lizzie; she knew he was- could feel his eyes on her. He was taking in the way she happily sat beside Hope. The way her clothes were similar to New Orleans’ clothing- she made an effort to wear red to despite him.

Slowly the conversation moved from wedding preparations to the future relationship between the kingdoms.

“Speaking of,” Klaus said from his seat, “what are your thoughts on trading?”

“Trading?”

“Yes, you know, the activity of buying and selling _things_ ,” Lizzie tensed at the way his words sounded and quickly looked his way. He seemed calm, like he had implied nothing at all.

Alaric squinted his eyes, “Mystic Falls has an amazing trading system all on its own.”

“Ah, well, yes,” Elijah intervened, “but we could always take the chance to improve it. After all, this marriage is not only for our protection.”

“This marriage is exactly for that. So that you savages would not declare a war.”

“I remind you, Alaric,” said Hayley, “that you were the first to threaten with war. Not us.”

He scoffed, “If you want to have this conversation again, I suggest not doing it in front of children,” he said, looking over to Hope and Lizzie.

“We are not children,” said Hope, defiant.

Alaric rolled his eyes, “I doubt you’d understand matters of war at your age.”

“Oh, so we’re too young to talk about war but not to get married just because you seem it fit?” Lizzie complained loudly.

“Control yourself, Elizbeth.”

“You’ve told me what to do long enough,” she replied, “I won’t listen to you anymore.”

“Is that so?” he questioned, leaning back, “The only reason you might get to be happy is because I allow you to be here,” he looked down at her clenched hands, “Tell me? Do you think it’ll last long once they found out about your… situation?”

Klaus, who was proudly smirking at Lizzie’s answers, looked over at her with worry. Hayley and Elijah doing the same.

“Shut up,” she whispered.

“Lizzie, what does he mean?” Hayley asked softly.

“Nothing,” she replied quickly.

“You think they’ll still want you here? Won’t get tired of you?” he continued, laughing softly at the last part, “I sure did.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Hope interrupted his next words, she looked back at Lizzie, “Lizzie.”

The blonde was clenching her jaw, eyes closed so tightly Hope thought it must be painful. She noticed the way the cup in front of her was cracking, the way her chair was stopping and starting to shake over and over- she was trying to keep it all in, Hope realized.

“Hasn’t she told you?” Alaric said directing himself to the confused faces of the three Mikaelsons, “well, you see, Lizzie’s a bit… crazy.”

At his words, Lizzie jumped from her chair- accidentally making all the plates and glasses on the table jump up with her, crashing back down into the table. She ran out of the room.

_Lizzie’s a bit… crazy._

“Breath. Stay calm,” she told herself as she went back to her room, she noticed the lights around the house flickering, “fuck. Fuck. Breath. Don’t do this,” she told herself as she opened her bedroom door- the organized piles of book she had, falling to the floor.

_You think they’ll still want you here?_

“Lizzie,” she heard Hope’s desperate voice behind her.

“Stay back!” she warned her, “It’s fine, it’d pass. Just…”

_Do you think it’ll last long once they found out about your… situation?_

“What is it? What do you need? Do we need to do those breathing exercises?”

“No. No. I need him to leave. He’s going to make me leave. Or worse, your father will kick me out. Or- He’ll break us up or something,” she ranted, the light bulb in her room exploded.

“All right,” Hope took her by the shoulders and sat Lizzie on the bed- kneeling in front of her, “deep breaths, deep breaths. Can you try and take a deep breath for me?”

Lizzie was gasping for air, trying to match her breathing to Hope’s. She laid her hand on the blonde’s leg, rubbing up and down- calming her down.

“Lizzie, hey- listen to me,” at her little nod she continued, “I’m not going anywhere, okay? And I’m not letting anyone get you away from me. I promise.”

She slowly moved and sat on the bed beside Lizzie, reaching for her shoulders again she guided her to rest her head on her chest- stroking her hair slowly until Lizzie’s breathing returned back to normal. It took her a few minutes to realize Hope was softly humming a song to her.

It was to her soft tune and the strong arms wrapped around her, that Lizzie feel asleep.

* * *

“Hey,” Hope yelled at Alaric as she walked down the stairs, “what the fuck is your problem?”

He looked at her as he put on his jacket, bored.

“Let me guess,” he said, “she had another episode.” Hope didn’t answer, “Then you should stay away.”

Hope got angrier, she saw from the corner of her eye her father entering the room.

“She’s your _daughter_. How can you not care?”

“Elizabeth did this to herself.” He said calmly.

“She can't control her brain chemistry,” Hope knew her tone was elevating, she didn’t care.

“She can choose to take her medication, but doesn't like the way that it makes her feel,” he replied annoyed, “So, she tried magical bracelets and releasing her inner bitch and then distracting herself with plenty of things, but all of that is just delaying the inevitable. Letting her crash is the only way anything will ever change.”

Hope walked forward, ready to put him in his place, when Klaus put a hand on her shoulder.

“Leave,” he told Alaric, no room for argument. “Don’t come back until you learn how to talk respectfully to my daughters.”

He snorted at the protective tone on Klaus’ voice, “You might think she’s worth protecting now, you’ll eventually get tired.”

“I said, leave!” he shouted, his eyes turning yellow.

“I’ll see you at the wedding,” he replied as he walked to the front door.

Once he closed it behind him, Hope turned around to look at her father.

“Dad,” she said desperately, “don’t cancel this, okay? Lizzie’s fine, I promise. She’s good, she’s smart- please dad-”

“Hope,” he said, putting his hands in her shoulder- calming her down, “hey, it’s okay. We’re not cancelling anything.”

“You aren’t? But- did- did he tell you…” she trailed off.

“He did. That changes nothing in our perception of Lizzie, sweetheart.”

"It doesn't?"

"Of course not. I always knew Alaric wasn't the best of guys but I never thought he'd reach the point of talking like that about one of his daughters."

"What did he said?" She asked, she knew her voice was small- almost scared.

"Nothing true," he said as he enveloped in a hug.

* * *

Lizzie woke up to the sound of someone eating.

It took her a few seconds to realize the silk sheets she was sleeping in were the ones of her bedroom. She remembered dinner and her father- breaking everything around her as Hope tried to calm her down. Remembered falling asleep in the safety of her arms, too.

_Lizzie’s a bit… crazy._

She burried her head in the pillow, closing her eyes as tightly as possible.

"Hello there, darling."

She quickly sat up in the bed, looking in the direction of the voice. Kol was sitting in one of the armchairs on the side of her bed, he was eating a burned looking cake from the plate in his lap.

"Were you watching me sleep? Creep."

He laughed, "What is it with beautiful women and calling me a creep?"

She sombered, "Why are you here? Where's Hope?"

_Won't get tired of you?_

"Isn't it obvious? I'm keeping you company," he answered, "and eating this cake Rebekah and Hayley tried to make but honestly," he made a face and continued as if nothing was happening, "I'm making you a favor, it's rather bad."

She looked at him in disbelief and he relented, sighing.

"Hope went to find something, she'll be back soon"

Lizzie tried not to let the disappointment show on her face.

_Get tired of you._

She started breathing hard again until she felt the bed dip and strong hands on her shoulder.

"Lizzie, hey, breathe," Kol pleaded, "you're okay, Hope will be here soon."

She looked up at him and saw his gentle and open eyes, she put her arms around herself.

"I just feel like I'm _so_ broken," she whispered.

"Most people are," he whispered back, trying to find her eyes, "I know what it's like not being able to control what's up there," he said, motioning to his head, "but I'll tell you a secret, no Mikaelson will ever give up on another for something they cannot control. That includes you now, Lizzie," he ended.

She looked up at him, wiping the tears in her cheek- she never thought she'd ever feel so comfortable in Kol's presence.

"Not if Klaus cancels the wedding," she shuggered, "he still has time."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Klaus quite likes you."

"I'm sure he does," she tried rolling her eyes but ended up yawning.

Kol chuckled, "You should rest, Hope will be here soon."

He stood up from the bed and picked the plate from the couch- looking at the cake with distrust- and when he was at the door, she called out for him, "Thank you, Kol."

* * *

Hope entered Lizzie’s room quietly and found the blonde sleeping on the bed, not facing the door. Her shirt was moved up in her back and she tried not to linger in Lizzie’s bare skin.

She moved over to her and kneeled beside the bed, “Lizzie,” she whispered.

The blonde turned around at the sound of her voice and smiled uncertain, “Hey, where were you?”

Hope cleared her throat and moved closer to her, “I was, uh, organizing something?”

“Oh,” Lizzie said sadly, “is it- is it my travel arrangements? I could have done that myself.”

“What?” Hope asked, brows furrowed, “no, of course not. I don’t want you to leave,” she founded Lizzie’s eyes, “ _ever_.”

“What about your parents?”

“My parents don’t care about what Alaric said, they’re just worried about you. Come with me?” she asked, expending her hand to Lizzie.

She got out of the bed slowly, too tired to hurry up, and took Hope’s hand.

“Where are we going?”

“Just to my room.”

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, “Your room? Invite a girl to dinner first, Mikaelson.”

Hope snorted, “Get your mind out of the gutter, I just have a surprise for you.”

Hope led her through the hallways, never letting go of her hand. She took a deep breath before opening the door and letting Lizzie go in first.

The room looked exactly the same, except for the couch and small table that instead of being filled with paintings and papers, was filled with two cups, a teapot and a plate of biscuits. It took her a second to realize the smell.

“It smells like home,” she breathed out.

“I got a few branches of every usual tree there is in Mystic Falls and I called your mother to ask her what your favorite tea is, because- you know- I didn’t know your favorite,” Hope ranted nervously, “and Rebekah offered to make some biscuits, I wouldn’t eat them if I were you but… maybe tell her they were nice and-”

“You did all of this for me?” she asked, realizing the tears in her eyes.

“Is it… okay?” she looked up to her and her eyes widened when she saw her crying, “oh no, I- I didn’t mean to make you cry. Shit,” she moved to the table, “I can take it out- forget I did this. Im sorry.”

She moved over to her, putting her hand in Hope’s shoulder making her stop. She didn’t trust herself to speak without her voice breaking. So she put her arms around her and hold her as tightly as she could.

Hope tensed for a second, not realizing Lizzie was hugging her. When she did, she put her arms around her waist and offered her as much comfort as she could until Lizzie decided she didn’t want to hug her anymore.

After a few minutes Lizzie whispered a soft _thank you_ in her arm and slightly pushed away- their bodies still touching, arms around each other.

“I’m sorry if this made you feel worse,” Hope started, “I know you miss your home and I thought this would help.”

“It did help,” she answered, “ _you_ help, so much.”

Hope smiled and tried to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat, “Do you want to try the tea before the water runs cold?”

Lizzie nodded and sat on the couch, Hope following after.

“Wait, you called my mother for this?”

“Yeah,” Hope blushed, “she wasn’t as surprised as I thought she’d be.”

“Did she say something else?”

“Just to take care of you.”

Lizzie smiled and reached with her hand for Hope’s. They held hands the rest of the day, sometimes Lizzie playing with Hope’s fingers. Sometimes Hope rubbing small circles in the back of the blonde’s hand.

“Do you want to stay?” Hope asked, biting her lip, after Lizzie yawned for the third time in a row.

“I do, that’s why I’m not going to my room just yet.”

“I meant if you want to sleep here tonight.”

“Oh.”

“I mean,” Hope said quickly, taking her hand away, “like, if you want to- no pressure. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. There’s no reason why you’d want to stay he-”

“Hope,” Lizzie smiled softly, “I’d like to stay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she said, taking Hope’s hand and standing up, “but let’s sleep now because I’m really tired.”

Once they were in bed, after shily and slowly getting dressed and into it. Both of them resting on their sides, looking at each other.

Lizzie whispered, “Thank you, no one’s ever done anything like that for me before.”

“You’re welcome,” she whispered back and then made a confused face, “you know, I don’t think anyone’s ever slept in my room before.”

“You mean to tell me the great Hope Mikaelson doesn’t have girls swaying at her feet?” said Lizzie sarcastically.

“Maybe,” Hope blushed, “just not the girl I want.”

Then Lizzie is smiling at her, that soft smile she doesn’t seem to give anyone else, and Hope realized how true that statement was. She wanted Lizzie. Wanted her in every way Lizzie would allow her. And so she smiled back and prayed her heart to stop asking for _more_.

Lizzie bit her lip, “How do you feel about kissing before the wedding?”

Hope looked down to Lizzie’s lips and then up to her eyes again, “I’m okay with it.”

Lizzie settled her hand against Hope’s cheek and the auburn girl’s eyes closed, leaning into the touch. She rubs her thumb across her cheek, feels the warm skin against her own.

“Can I…?” Hope asked, opening her eyes and looking down to her lips again.

“Yes.” Lizzie answered quickly.

Hope moved and her face was inches from Lizzie’s, yet she seemed uncertain.

“Are you sure about this? We don’t have t-”

Lizzie cup both sides of Hope’s face and pulled her in. Her lips clumsily found hers, and after Hope’s initial shock, she moved her hands to Lizzie’s waist- kissing her back.

Lizzie let out a chuckle when she pulled back and Hope whined in response. She rested her forehead against Hope’s, hands still on her cheeks- fingers softly touching the outline of her jaw. Hope was looking at her so so softly she wanted to ask her to stop but her eyes were shining with happiness and the lightning from the last few candles of the room. She bit her lip, containing herself from kissing Hope again.

“We should sleep,” she said.

“Or we could keep kissing,” said Hope biting her lip and moving her hands on Lizzie’s back.

Lizzie moved and rested slightly on top of Hope. Slowly she started to kiss her neck and softly bit in the place right below Hope’s ear, when she heard her whimper again, she whispered, “Or we could just sleep.”

Lizzie rested her head on the crook of Hope’s shoulder and this time she appreciated the fact that she didn’t have to do it unconsciously on her sleep. Hope stayed still, playing carefully with the hem of Lizzie’s shirt.

“Are you not going to move?” she whispered after a few moments.

“No, I’m comfy,” the blonde answered, snuggling deeper into Hope as if to prove a point

“You’re too hot,” she complained.

“I know,” Lizzie smirked, “thank you.”

“You know what I mean. Lizzie,” she complained again when the blonde didn’t move.

“Fine,” she sighed and moved to rest beside Hope- she immediately felt her absence. Lizzie linked their fingers together and raised their linked hands, “better?”

“No,” she answered and moved Lizzie so that her back was facing Hope and the auburn girl could wrap her arms around her, “that’s better.”

* * *

Klaus called them to his office one day before the wedding.

The last few days had been better than Lizzie ever thought possible. Hope was charming, and funny, and smart, knew when not to push Lizzie yet knew exactly when she needed a little help too.

She didn’t realize she had fallen in love with her until she woke up to a half empty bed and a note from Hope telling her she was out with her father, a mug of her favorite tea enchanted to never get cold in the bedside table.

She thought she would freak out, maybe have an outburst. But instead she felt the calm only Hope could ever bring to her.

That calm had gone away when Hope came looking for her because her father wanted to speak with them.

Hope took her hand before they entered the room and squeezed, “It’s gonna be okay.”

“I know,” she squeezed back before opening the door.

They found Klaus, Hayley and Freya waiting for them, all with frowns on their faces- looking pointedly at the map on top of the table. They didn’t look up until Hope called them.

“Is everything okay?” Lizzie asked when they all looked uncertain on how to start talking.

“Yes, well, sort of,” Freya answered.

“Your father has abandoned the throne,” Klaus explained directly.

“What? But the wedding’s tomorrow,” Hope said, “if he wanted to give the throne to Josie he could’ve waited until after it.”

“Is he trying to undermine us? Get everyone to go to Mystic Falls and not come here to the wedding?”

“He didn’t exactly give the throne to your sister, Lizzie,” Hayley explained, “he left it.”

“What do you mean?”

“We found the boy you told us about and your father heard about it-”

“Probably spies,” Klaus muttered under his breath.

“-and now he’s on the run.”

“We have more than enough proof to dethrone him now,” said Freya from the side, “he probably knew that and decided to leave.”

“That makes no sense,” Hope said, “the only reason he agreed to the wedding was so that we couldn’t hurt each other. Running away is a crime against the truce we had set up.”

“He wants you to declare war,” Lizzie whispered, looking at Klaus. He nodded, “what’s going to happen now?”

Her voice cracked; she knew that. The logical choice was cancelling the wedding- her father, although an asshole, was smart and it wouldn’t take long for him to come back with allies covering his back. Moving on with the wedding meant giving the Mikaelsons the disadvantage of not being able to kill him.

She allowed herself a small moment of grief. For the life she thought for a moment she’d get with the Mikaelsons. She thought of quiet mornings in with Hope. The fashion walk Rebekah had invited her to go in March. The way Hayley had laughed when she told her she was terrible at cooking too and maybe they should learn together. The way Kol had asked her to back him up when he was talking to Davina and the way the brunette had winked at her when she didn’t know how to respond. She really thought she’d got more time with Hope. After their kiss Hope had been even sweeter than before. With hand holding or small kisses for _no reason, I just wanted to_.

She didn’t realize a tear had left her eye until Hope took her hand and squeezed, “Hey,” she said, urging Lizzie to look into her eyes, “it’s going to be okay.”

“It will,” Klaus agreed, standing up from his chair, “we will figure it out after the wedding.”

“The wedding? You’re not cancelling it?”

“Of course not,” everyone in the room interfered and Lizzie jumped a bit at the strength in their voices.

“You girls should go rest,” Klaus said, his eyes a bit kinder and a tad of mischief in them too, “you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

* * *

It had been two hours since the reception ceremony had started and Hope’s feet already ached.

She wanted to see Lizzie. They had been loudly woken up by Rebekah slamming on Hope’s door and yelling it was time to get ready. And while the blonde had gone to her room to get ready with her mom after giving her a soft kiss, Hope had to ignore the teasing smirk of her aunt while she did her hair.

She had seen glimpses of Lizzie during the morning but when one of them tried to go to the other, they were quickly pulled away by one of their guests.

“You look like you need a break,” said Penelope showing up behind her and extending a champagne glass to her.

“Isn’t it a bit early to start drinking?” Hope asked, “it’s ten in the morning.”

“It’s your wedding, shouldn’t you be drunk already?”

“I want to remember today.”

“You’re such a sap,” Penelope snorted, “Where’s the future wife anyway?”

“I think she’s talking to the Salvatores now,” she answered disappointed, “they just arrived.”

“Clingy much?” she laughed.

“Oh shut up,” Hope rolled her eyes, “it’s our wedding, we should spend time together on our wedding.”

“Calm down, lovebird,” Penelope said after emptying her glass in one swing, grabbing a new one from a passing waitress, “you’ll have all night to yourselves.”

Hope groaned at the way Penelope moved her eyebrows up and down, a little blush in her cheeks, “Shut up.”

“I will not. I do want to meet her though,” she said more seriously, “maybe you can call her over?”

“Why’s that?”

Penelope got closer to her and lowered her voice, “Well, maybe I think she should know I was the first girl you ever kissed, you know, just to clear the air.”

“Yeah,” Hope answered shoving her slightly to the side, “you’re absolutely not doing that.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, raising her hands in surrender- smirk still on her face, “I’ll leave you two to it.” She looked over Hope’s shoulder and threw a wink and little wave to the person before turning around.

Confused she turned around and almost bumped into Lizzie.

“We need to stop almost walking into each other,” Lizzie said as greeting.

Hope didn’t answer, she was way too focused on the way Lizzie looked. She was wearing a silver top and matching shorts, a deep red belt giving the outfit color. Hope tried to not look to much at the naked skin of Lizzie’s abs, she failed. The blonde hair was combed in a high bun, letting the small necklace around her neck shine. Hope mentally laughed at the subtle way her aunt had made them match again. Hope was wearing a simple light grey dress with a red chocker around her neck, waves of her hair casually covering it.

“You look gorgeous,” she breathed out after a few seconds, getting a small blush from Lizzie.

“So do you,” she answered.

They stayed quiet for a few seconds, just taking in a moment of looking at each other, until Elijah’s voice interrupted them.

“Hope, Lizzie,” he called out for them as he approached them, “I want you to meet someone.”

It was then that they noticed the man besides him. He smiled timidly at them and extended his hand, Hope taking it first.

“Rafael, it’s nice to finally meet you both.”

“You’re the boy from the basement,” Lizzie said quickly and shocked.

“I am,” he said, “I never got to thank you for saving my life.”

“He’s also prince Waithe,” Elijah interfered, “and the reason we got all the proof we needed against you father, Lizzie.”

“Is that why you left a few days ago?” Hope asked her uncle.

“It is, I thought it would be better to talk things over in person.”

Lizzie felt the tears forming in her eyes, “I didn’t know you were a prince.”

He laughed, “Not the kind of conversation you make when you want to run away from a certain death.”

She laughed weakly, “Thank you, for helping us.”

“I own you my life. I am happy I get to repay you,” he replied.

The four of them talked some more until Rebekah interrupted them saying it was time for Hope and Lizzie to start getting ready.

Before they turned into different hallways, Lizzie took Hope’s hand and squeezed, “See you at the altar?”

Hope bit her lip, “See you soon,” she said before giving Lizzie a quick peek on the lips.

* * *

The music of Hope’s entrance was playing and Lizzie knew she was going to be next, obviously. But between getting ready, greeting everyone that came to the wedding, meeting Rafael and getting ready again; she hadn’t thought about the fact she had no one to walk her down the aisle.

She was walking back and forward in the room, the mirror in the room breaking a little bit more with each step, after telling her mom to go sit when she heard a knock on the door. A few seconds later, Klaus entered.

“Ready?” he asked.

“I am, I just- I don’t have anyone to walk me down the aisle.”

He smiled, “Perhaps, I may escort you?”

“Really?”

“Yes,” he paused, “I know I’m not your father nor I’ll ever be him but I hope we do get to have a good relationship, Lizzie.”

She walked over to him and hugged him tightly, Klaus only taking a second to hug back, “I don’t need him. He’s a coward.”

“A coward we will soon find,” he laughed when she looked up confused, “a little bird told us where he’s going to.”

“A little bird?”

“Your sister, Josie.”

Lizzie smiled. Klaus put his elbow out for Lizzie to take and opened the door.

“Let’s go,” she said as the music started.

Lizzie wanted to say that she was calm during the ceremony but her hands shook while she softly put the ring on Hope’s fingers, her voice cracked a little with emotion when she said _I do_ , and a tear fell down her eye when Hope said it back.

She’d have felt embarrassed but she noticed the way Hope stopped breathing when she saw Lizzie in her dress- a long white sleeveless dress with golden and red diamonds on its front, similar to the one Hope was wearing. She saw the way the shorter girl bit her lip during the ceremony, trying to keep her nerves at bay.

They both felt the way the other breathed out after the kissed and saw the radiant smile after it.

After dinner, when everyone around the room was happily chatting and laughing, Klaus walked over to the small stage the band was playing in and started his speech.

“My brother once told me _we're bound forever to those with whom we share blood. And while we may not choose our family... that bond is our greatest strength._ My brother is very smart, you see. He’s right about a lot of things. This in particular, is true,” he looked over to Lizzie, sitting beside Hope, their arms around each other, “but today, we choose our family, regardless of our blood. We have already chosen it. We’ve chosen you, Lizzie, long before this ceremony,” he serious look crossed his face, “No one knew how this would turn out. We could have been in a war right now if it wasn’t for you two. I thank you, the Kingdom of New Orleans thanks you,” he raised his glass, “to Hope and Lizzie.”

Everyone soon followed and Lizzie, with tears in her eyes, turned around to Hope.

“You know what I just realized?” she said, placing a strand of hair behind her wife’s ear. Hope hummed in question.

“I never told you I love you,” she paused and took in Hope’s smile, “I love you, Hope Mikaelson.”

“I love you, Elizabeth Mikaelson. Always and forever.”

“Always and forever,” she repeated and leaned in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO READ ILY ALL SM

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter as @lgbtimelord


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